THE PRIMULAS 67 



addition to these three species, there is another less 

 commonly known British plant, the Bifd's-eye 

 Primrose, which occurs in the north of England, 

 especially on the hills. Of all the Swiss Alpine 

 Primulas, this is by far the most abundant. 



In Alpine Switzerland there are also several 

 Primulas of great interest and beauty which do not 

 occur wild with us. Of these, the Auricula, the original 

 parent of our cultivated Auriculas, stands first. It has 

 yellow flowers and characteristic leaves, which are 

 thick, fleshy, and dusted with a white waxy powder. 

 It thus stands in strong contrast to the Primrose and 

 Cowslip, so common in this country, which have green 

 wrinkled leaves. 



Next we have the rare Alpine, the Long-flowered 

 Primula, with leaves which are green and wrinkled 

 above, but covered below with a waxy powder like 

 that found on both sides of the leaf of the Auricula. 



Lastly, we have five other Alpine species with 

 violet or rose-coloured flowers, and leaves which are 

 green and not powdery. 



We will commence with the Oxlip {Primula 

 elatior, Jacq.). The individual flower-stalks are all 

 mounted on a long common flower-stalk, the whole 

 forming an umbel, in the manner which we have 

 already noticed in the case of the Narcissus-flowered 

 Anemone. This arrangement of the flowers is 

 characteristic of the Primulas, and occurs even in the 

 Primrose (P. vulgaris, Huds,), where, however, the 

 common flower-stalk is short, and sunk beneath the 



